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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · pitcher · perch · saw · date · wave · key · hide

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tear — from crying
  6. key — in music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. key — for a lock
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. key — the most important part
  20. tear — to rip
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com